


Us vs. Them

by clubs14



Category: Loki: Agent of Asgard, X-Men (Comicverse), Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: F/M, Genderfluid Loki, Homophobic Language, M/M, Non-Consensual Electroconvulsive Therapy, Politics, conversion therapy, religion extremism, they/them pronouns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-04
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-22 02:02:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9577301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clubs14/pseuds/clubs14
Summary: Who would have thought answering a phone could cause so much change, David's still not sure if he did the right thing or not.





	1. Phone calls

**Author's Note:**

> With the current political climate in the states I was inspired to write something showing extremism and the alt-right.

As everyone knows the worst part of partying all night is the hangover that accompanies it the following morning. There is nothing worse than having your head pound in time with the banging from the next room, he would kill Tommy once the world stopped moving. 

“Sorry about all the noise.” A voice from the next room called at him with a tone he most definitely hadn’t been expecting, Loki? But how did they get in here his door was always locked? Feeling decidedly more awake he pulled on the jeans from last night and rushed to the kitchen where the noises had resumed. 

“What are you doing here? How did you even get in?” Images of last night flashed in his mind but he couldn’t recall anyone even resembling Loki, he must have been more drunk then he realised. It was settled he was never listening to Tommy’s advice again no more clubs. 

“You don’t remember last night?” Loki looked genuinely hurt which shocked him more than the sight of them in his apartment. 

“No, sorry.” Why was he apologizing this whole situation was insane, for all he knew Loki had just snuck in to get information. With that thought he scanned his whole apartment, everything appeared to be the same, all important information still stowed away.

“Well maybe it’s best if I go.” Before he could say another word Loki was out the door and he was left wondering why his immediate response had been to encourage them to stay. 

With a sigh he pulled the eggs and bacon closer, even if Loki was up to something at least they had made breakfast. He was halfway through eating when a buzz sounded from the counter, his phone was definitely left in the bedroom which meant Loki had left their phone, probably on purpose, well he wasn’t going to play whatever game they had in mind. Ignoring the sound the best he could with his now pounding headache he went back to eating, it was going to be a long week. 

 

****** 

“Oh my god if you don’t answer that thing the next time it rings then I will, and it won't be pretty.” Tommy had found the situation amusing at first but that was twenty phone calls ago whoever wanted to talk to Loki was really desperate.

“Why can’t you at try unlocking it again, at least if it was on silent we could ignore it.” 

“I already tried unlocking it all day yesterday, there is something more to it than any cellphone I’ve seen before.” He had actually spent an embarrassing amount of time trying to figure out how it worked.

“I don’t even remember seeing Loki at that club, they must have followed you back to your place. Maybe this is their way at revenge for you rejecting them?” Tommy was just rambling at this point though it was unsettling that neither of them could recall seeing Loki. However they had gotten into his apartment must have happened on his way home when he was too far gone to remember anything. 

“Can we just focus on work, I’ll figure this out later.” He tossed the phone into one of the filing cabinet drawers under some papers in the hopes that the ringing would at least be quieter. He could work it out later when he wasn’t being bombarded with calls from customers. 

“I’m just saying this whole thing is creepy, what if they set up some kind of camera in your place to spy on you for Dr. Doom?” 

“Why would Loki be working for Dr. Doom?” How did he always let Tommy drag him into these conversations?

“Because they are both villains, obviously.” 

“Right and all villains form super powerful teams just like the Avengers.” 

“Don’t sass me, this is important.” Before he could argue further the phone rang again and Tommy gave him a withering look. 

“Fine I’ll answer it.” pulling the phone out he made his way out the door there was no way he planned on being in the same room as Tommy, especially if it did end up being Dr. Doom.

“Hello.” 

“Loki is that you?” It was definitely a man’s voice though thankfully not Dr. Doom.

“No this is David.” He waited a couple of minutes and there was a loud click, he had hung up on him. If it meant that the phone would stop ringing then it would be worth it. Whoever it was now knew that they would have to get in touch with Loki in a different way. 

“Who was it?” Tommy glanced up at him as he reentered the room. 

“I don’t know they hung up once they knew I wasn’t Loki.” 

“Well that’s good.” David nodded his head in agreement, deciding that he was still going to try and figure out how to unlock the phone later. There could be important information on there after all.


	2. The complexities of magic

Well it had been six hours according to his watch and despite having solved the code that would unlock any man made phone it was still refusing to let him gain access. There was definitely an energy reading on it which meant magic was also protecting it. It always had to come back to magic didn’t it, the one thing that couldn’t be measured or understood in any scientific way, he would have denied its very existence as implausible if he hadn’t witnessed it first hand so many times. Oh well, it was too late to get any more significant work done tonight anyway maybe tomorrow after work he could look through the archives on magic.

He started to make his way out of the living room when there was a loud knock on the door. Heart sinking he made his way to the door and took a look through the peep hole. Who should be standing there but Loki wearing exceptionally tight clothes and more makeup then he could remember them wearing in the past. He found himself staring into the deep green eyes through the tiny glass, mind drifting back to the complexities of magic and the amount of power it was capable of. 

“Are you going to let me in?” Loki’s mouth had twisted into a smile and David was sure that they were very much aware of him staring. Without a word he pulled the door open ushering Loki in before closing the door behind them. Once inside Loki’s eyes travelled through the entirety of his living room and he knew it must be for the phone still laying on the counter.

“You left it here.” He gestured vaguely toward the phone. 

“And you couldn’t figure out how to unlock it. I guess that means no one can.” With a wink Loki scooped up the phone placing it carefully in their pocket. 

“Someone kept calling you.” He tried to make his voice sound as uninterested as possible. 

“Oh yeah I’ve been ignoring The Odinson. So naturally he won't stop calling.” Their tone was light but it sent a shiver down David’s spine. Loki was lying and he was confused why that still seemed to surprise him. 

“Well thanks for keeping it safe.” Twisting around so that their dark hair whipped around with their body Loki was out the door. For the best he reasoned Loki always brought trouble.

 

******

 

The phone buzzed once more and Loki made sure to duck in a corner before answering, this whole thing would be pointless if someone overheard. 

“Hello.” 

“So you got your phone back.” 

“Of course, now listen up we have an agreement and you still haven't held up your side.” 

“I have to say Loki I didn’t think you would still be hanging around with those disgusting mutants, should I be worried?” Stomach dropping Loki did their best to take a deep breath before answering, David must have answered the phone, fuck. 

“No need to worry the deal still stands hold up your side and I’ll do my part.” Hanging up quickly they dashed out the front door, after this slip up they would have to keep an eye out on him.


	3. When the X-Men call

“Wow you look awful.” Tommy was sitting in his normal spot glancing up only briefly from his game of solitaire to acknowledge him. 

“Thanks.” 

“So did you figure out the phone?” He said in a whisper once David had gotten closer. 

“Not exactly. Loki came by and took it back.” 

“Oh well, it was fun while it lasted.” 

Shaking his head he took the seat at his desk, still lost in thought on who wanted to contact Loki so badly. It had to be a villain he reasoned, why else would they have been so quick to lie. 

A ring sounded this time from his phone and he quickly answered giving them the practiced speech that was company policy. 

“Prodigy it’s Kurt I couldn’t find your number so had to settle with calling you at work instead. I’m afraid I have urgent news are you able to leave work so we can talk in person?” 

“Of course where did you want to meet?” The words came out in a rush and Tommy glanced at him with an odd look. 

“I’ll come to you.” With that he hung up.

“So Loki wants to meet up again?” Tommy inclined his head with a smirk. 

“No that was Nightcrawler.” Even saying it out-loud sounded crazy it had been what felt like years since he had worked alongside any of the X-Men. It seemed Tommy agreed with him as the smirk quickly changed to shock. 

“Weird. You’ll have to tell me what’s going on, later.” He turned his attention back to the ringing phone in front of him as David slipped out the office. 

 

******

“I’m glad that you were able to get away from work.” They were seated in a coffee shop that David had never been too before but that seemed to be a favourite of Kurt’s, if the looks the barista was giving him were any indication

“Yeah about that, could you call and let him know that I left early to help you out?” 

“Of course.” He waved his hand dismissively before leaning in closer.

“I’m sure you have heard of the Church of Humanity before.” He paused waiting for David to nod before continuing. “They have started some kind of new project and for some reason they seemed keen on getting you to take part.” 

“And you want me to agree in order to get information.” It was the only reason that they would be contacting him now. 

“Well yes, we’ll be monitoring the whole thing in order to prevent anything from going wrong.” 

“I’m sorry I’m not just going to agree to something when I don’t know anything about the project. I mean this is the church that has killed countless mutants just because they think their purifying the earth.” Of course that wasn’t all they had done, he would be living a very different life if they hadn’t decided to out him when they had. Maybe he would even still feel safe visiting his old home. 

“They are planning on contacting you later today on what the project is about. We wanted to give you a heads up so that you wouldn’t be caught off guard.”

“I’m guessing that Professor Xavier is the one that found out?” 

“Yes he felt that I should relay the information because of my past history with them.” His tone got somber. “If you do decide to help then we just might be able to disassemble the hate group once and for all.” He was trying to guilt him into helping, there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that Kurt had been waiting a long time to shut them down. However knowing that someone is trying to make you feel guilty didn’t change the fact that it had worked. Though he reasoned every hero was likely to agree to such a plan if it meant helping his former team mates. 

“I’ll help out however I can.”


	4. Mr. Breit

They had no idea when the call would come just that it would probably be sometime in the afternoon so naturally David found himself pacing his apartment this time waiting for the phone to ring. If whatever they needed his help with was too horrible he could still turn them down that would be the logical decision. There had to be other ways of infiltrating their inner circle after all. The phone began ringing and he answered noticing the unknown number that appeared, he could track it down later if he needed to. 

“Hello.” 

“Is this Mr. Alleyne?” 

“Yes.” The voice sounded familiar in a way that sent a shiver down his spine, was this the same man that had been calling Loki? Where they offering a job to them as well? Well at least now he knew without a doubt that he would be agreeing to this position, if only to keep an eye on Loki and make sure that they weren’t helping the wrong side. If that was the case things could get much worse for all mutants. 

“I’m calling on behalf of The Church for ALL of Humanity. We would like to offer you a position as a therapist.”

“I’m aware of your Church and their stance on mutants, why would you want to hire one?” It took all of his energy to keep his tone civil. 

“We are aware of the fact that you no longer have any special powers and are therefore seen as apart of normal humanity. Our goals are to help other mutants that have not been as fortunate.” The maliciousness was clear in his voice now, and David found himself wishing that he at least knew this man’s name. The small grip he had left on his composure was slipping away and his hands were shaking as he lifted the phone back up to his face. 

“I would like to see the facility before I make my decision.” 

“Of course, I will send you the address and you can come by tomorrow at five o'clock. Does that work for you?” 

“Yes, I’ll see you tomorrow.” Hanging up he collapsed to the ground bile was rising in his mouth. What had he gotten himself into? 

 

******

By the time five o’clock had rolled around he was feeling at least a little bit more prepared, having spent the whole night reading up on anything that could be useful. He know knew all the things that the Church had taken part in. Professor Xavier was aware of his meeting and Nightcrawler was planning on staying close by just in  
case. He was as prepared as he was ever going to be so why did he still feel so terrified. 

The building itself wasn’t anything out of the ordinary and the inside was like any other office he had been in, with a front desk and elevators to the right. The women behind the counter gave him a disgusted look before calling someone on the phone. The walls weren't covered with hateful posters and the magazines though right wing didn’t have any horrifying titles. 

“I’m glad you could make it, my name is Mr. Breit and I will be giving you the tour of your work station.” He turned to see a large man with a greying beard arm outstretched for a handshake. David accepted the handshake making sure to keep his hand as steady as possible.

“Right this way, I don’t have a lot of time.” He gestured to the elevator and David followed still taking in all of his surroundings. Nothing out of the ordinary, though he was certain that there would be on other floors that he wouldn’t be granted access to. Sure enough there was a card slot on the control panel of the elevator, Mr. Breit took the card from his pocket and slid it in before selecting the correct floor. He seemed to notice David watching him because he turned with a sharp smile hiding the card back in one of his many coat pockets. 

“You won't be needed on any of the other floors, normally there will be someone operating the elevator and they will make sure that you always get to the correct place.” David nodded and tried his best to return the smile. 

“Here we are, this is the floor that you will be working on and right through here is where your work station will be. You will be in charge of setting up appointments and talking to patients.”

“I’m not really qualified to give medical advice to patients.” 

“Maybe not but your more then qualified to help them with any questions they might have on getting better. Your clients are mutants who wish to live a normal and healthy life, they come to us for help and guidance. You will be expected to help them find the right path.” David’s heart sank of course this wasn’t like the church just another side of it. If you claimed to be providing a service to willing adults then it wasn’t against the law even if the outcome could prove deadly. 

“I would like to accept the job, it sounds...fulfilling.” Mr. Breit smiled and lead him back to the elevator. Well he was in.

****** 

“How did it go?” Kurt was seated next to him tail anxiously waving around in the breeze, they had found a quiet place not to far from the office building.

“It went as well as could be expected, their running a conversion therapy clinic and I’m sure they have some kind of drug locked up to help push the process along.” 

“So did you accept the job?” 

“Yes.” 

“You're doing the right thing, if we can find a weak point then I will be able to get into the building with the help of Kitty. Maybe then we can shut down this program for good. Did you know people actually pay them money to “cure” them?” When he looked back at David there were tears in his yellow eyes. “So much hate.” 

“I know.”


	5. Foolish hero's

That complete idiot what did he think he was getting into, obviously the X-Men had set this whole train wreck up, did they really think that sending him in would get them the information they needed. The only likely outcome was the permanent damage that would be inflicted on David, and all of this because they planned on having something over Loki’s head. Now it would be much harder to stick to the original plan, and all because of left over feelings. This must be why heroes were so prone to making bad decisions. At the sound of footsteps Loki jumped back up, if David was going to insist on making foolish decisions then why not add to the list. 

“Um what the hel are you thinking?” Harsher to the ears then what was originally intended but it needed to be said. 

“Loki, what are you doing here?” His voice was resigned but the anger behind his brown eyes was apparent, he definitely knew of their own involvement. 

“I’m trying to knock some sense into you. They know that you only took the job for information, don’t you think they will exploit that?” David slammed the door behind them before wheeling on Loki. 

“The information that I could receive is worth the risk. The only thing that I’m confused on is why you're so concerned for my safety all of a sudden.” 

“I guess I must still care about you, we were once teammates after all.” Loki made sure to bite the corner of their lip slightly carefully watching where David’s eyes went. Sure enough he did look down at their lips before jolting back up to their eyes. 

“We were never really teammates though.” He huffed but Loki could taste victory the best lies were always half truths after all. 

“Maybe not but I still care about what happens to you. These are dangerous people.” 

“But not to dangerous for you? I’ve been fighting them for years I know what I’m doing.” Loki edged closer this time David didn’t take a step back. “Besides how do I know that you're really on our side?” 

“You really think I would be helping them get rid of people like you?” Loki let the genuine hurt come through, after all this time and sacrifice, and everyone still saw them the same way. If no one ever gives you a second chance then how can you ever hope to change? 

David didn’t answer just looked into their eyes as if trying to find the truth in them, the last time anyone had looked at them like that had been when Verity was still alive. Whatever he saw he must of liked because instead of arguing he just sighed before taking a seat at the couch. 

“Can you at least tell me what happened that night, and why you stayed over?” 

“Yes.” Loki took a seat next to him and made sure to look him in the eye in the hope that he could understand that it was the truth. 

“You were very drunk and walking home alone, I saw you and I saw some people approach you, so I made sure you got home safely. I slept on the couch.” There was no need to add who the people had been David would be able to figure that out on his own.

“That’s it?”

“Yep, not really all that exciting I’m afraid.” At that David started laughing and even though Loki knew it was a reflex after a long stressful day, they still found themselves enjoying the sound.


	6. First day on the job

It was a rough start for David the following morning with so many different things playing through his head. The worst part had been quitting his old job and then forcing himself to ignore all calls from Tommy, what were you supposed to say? I left the job I love for one that helps mutants loose or at least repress their powers. Nothing felt right and he desperately hoped he would get his job back when this was all over, or maybe something better, becoming an X-Men sure didn’t seem all that likely. 

“Mr. Alleyne, so good to see you.” Mr. Briet was waiting for him, oh what a great way to start the day. 

At least he didn’t accompany him in the elevator this time, instead there was a man with a key card that made sure he went to the correct floor. David did his best to ignore the sneer directed at him and instead looked at his phone. Of course there was no connection here, they didn’t want clients to be able to call for help.

“You must be David, I’m Bart Price I will be overseeing your first day just to make sure you have a good understanding of what goes on here. There are many different patients and three of them will be assigned to you to start with. You will also be happy to know that you're not the only former mutant to be working here. They all made the decision to help others overcome what they were able to.” He smiled and David was sure that he honestly thought they were doing good work here. 

“All right your first patient is called mutant 187 she is able to lift over ten times her body weight and is hoping to receive work on her muscles in order to make them normal. She has been a patient here for three years.” 

“I’m assuming that she lives here then.” 

“Yes of course, all our patients are housed here. In fact this is her room.” He gestured to one of the many doors down the hallway. “All your patients are housed on this floor in order to make it easier for you to make all your appointments.” David nodded and stepped past the now open door. There was a single bed and a small table with one chair pulled out, he could see a small bathroom in the corner. The whole thing looked more like a prison cell then a room. She looked up at him from the far corner of the bed and he took a deep breath. Her face was covered in dirt and any spark that might have been in her eyes was now gone. He desperately wanted to ask her what her real name was and what had pushed her into this. Instead he settled for giving her a smile. 

“All right you know the drill.” He pulled two chairs out of the closet and set them in front of her gesturing David to take a seat. The “therapy” went on for at least an hour and the whole time he did his best to tune out the awful words being said and instead focus on her. Over time she started to meet his eyes and she even smiled at him when he turned to close the door behind them. 

His other patients were very similar to the first though harder to reach, neither of them even acknowledged him. By the time the day was coming to an end he was convinced that they were still using outdated practices such as electroshock therapy. How was he going to relay the horrors to Kurt and the rest of the X-Men? This whole plan seemed useless if they couldn’t get the patients out and that wasn’t possible if they had signed away their lives willingly. 

 

******

“Hello Loki so lovely of you to finally join me, I presume that you have collected what I need.” Straight to the point then just what they had expected of such a power hungry man.

“Yes I have what you want.” With a flourish they pulled the vile from a hidden pocket always one for the dramatics. 

“Well hand it over then I already did my part.” His hand was outstretched and Loki was sure that he was planning on jumping for it if need be. 

“As I recall you didn’t exactly finish your part.” The vial was hidden back inside their coat and it was hard not to relish the utterly dejected face before them. This man had probably never had anyone say no to him. 

“You got the job didn’t you? What more did you want?” His face was becoming more flushed and he was definitely about to throw a fit if he didn’t get what he wanted. 

“Yes they gave me a job and while that’s a start that’s not all we talked about.” 

“I don’t have that kind of power, and you know that.” With a shrug Loki turned and headed out the door, sure enough he was begging him to come back. 

“I’ll do my best okay, I just can’t make any promises.” 

“That’s all I ask for.” Pulling the vial back out they threw it to him watching as he greedily drank all the contents. 

“You’ll get more after you finish the second part.” That’s all he should need anyway.


	7. Mutant 143

he X-Men had invited him to come to the school and talk with them about everything that happened after a distraught Kurt had contacted them. Of course they were all as horrified as David had been and were still working on some kind of rescue mission in order to get all the mutants out. He had excused himself once the discussion got more heated, after such an awful day he wanted nothing more than to just go home and try to get whatever rest he could. 

It was so quiet once home that he found himself missing Loki of all people, at least when they were around he had a distraction from everything else. On more than one occasion he had to stop himself from calling them. What was wrong with him? He still didn’t even know what Loki’s true motives were. It was definitely better if he just went to bed early and tried to forget about everything, give himself a break. 

It was hours before he was able to sleep, and his dreams were full of hundreds of mutants, all of which had the same vacant stare. By the time morning came his whole body ached and he was feeling even less ready for work. Hopefully the team had some kind of plan ready, he wasn’t sure how many days he could do this without stealing that key-card and looking at the other prohibited floors. 

Today nobody even looked up when he entered the building and the man in the elevator looked only half conscious. “Long night?” He found himself asking. 

“Yes.” The voice sounded far off and the man placed his key card in the slot while pushing one of the buttons that was definitely not for the same floor as yesterday. Heart racing he tried to get a better look at the man but the doors slide open behind him and he was pulled out. 

“Hey.” The voice was right in his ear and he was relieved that it was Loki. 

“What are you doing, if they find out I’m on a different floor then I could get fired.” Doing his best to pull back he tried to push the up button for the elevator but Loki was too fast and grabbed his hand. 

“I’m helping you get the information you really need, now just come with me.” They pulled his hand leading him down the hallway. At least the floor appeared completely empty David reasoned. 

The door that Loki led him to was locked but of course they had the key. Once the door was open he slowly stepped in still unsure if he really trusted Loki or not. The dust was thick in the air and cobwebs had formed on the stacked boxes connecting them to the ceiling. 

“Well go on, open one of them.” Loki gestured at the boxes. David pulled the lid off of the closest one to the door, finding files on a patient just referred to as mutant 43. She seemed to have been able to project energy from one living thing to another until she had been taken to the clinic that was. Frantically he pulled out the earliest paperwork from when she was first brought in. Someone else had filled out all her paperwork for her meaning that she hadn’t agreed to any of this. Reaching for the next closest box he could find he tore the lid off and began flipping through all the files. Just like the first, someone else had signed all the paperwork. 

“Are they all like this?” 

“No, some mutants did want treatment. Most of them however were brought here by family.” Loki handed him a folder pointing at the name. Mutant 143, this was the institute were Stryker must have taken his son after the accident. 

“Does Stryker still come here?” 

“No after his son died he lost interest.” Loki handed him more files from the same box and sure enough all of his procedures were documented including one from a lobotomy that he had received. Feeling sick he put the the folder down, was that what had happened to all the mutants still living in the building. 

“We have to notify the press, none of this is legal.” His voice even sounded shaky to his own ears. 

“Yes you should notify the press.” Loki threw a bag to him so that he could fill it with all the most incriminating pieces of evidence. “But first you should show it to the X-Men, and make sure you leave my name out.” 

“Why should I, unless you have something to hide.” 

“They don’t trust me in the same way that you do.” Loki smiled.

“When did I ever say that I trusted you?” They had reached the elevator and Loki finally turned back to him with an intense stare. 

“You didn’t have to say anything.” With that they pushed the up button and he found himself being pulled back into the elevator. The short ride was silent and he made sure to get out of the building as fast as possible once reaching the lobby. Loki didn’t follow. 

 

******

David was rushed into Professor Xavier's office as a soon as he arrived at the school, he wanted to hear everything before informing the rest of the X-Men. After several years without communication he felt nervous. 

“I’m so glad you came here first, do you have the paperwork?” Xavier had entered the room quietly with a kind smile on his face. Handing him the documents he watched as the smile changed to a thin line. 

“Are you going to go to the press, Sir?”

“Not yet I’m afraid. This still isn’t enough to close them for good.” He dropped the papers on his desk with a sigh. 

“You have done very well Prodigy I’m very proud of you.” There was that kind smile again, he was being dismissed. 

“I can do more I know where to get more information now.” 

“It’s to risky, I will make sure the best of my team are informed on this new information and we will proceed.” 

“But I want to help.” He knew that he must sound desperate but after seeing it all first hand it was impossible to turn away now. 

“I know you do and you have already done so much, now it is time to let others take over.” David could tell that he was trying to pacify him and while the words were honest it did nothing to change how he felt. 

“Of course Sir.” He nodded before leaving the room only to have the unmistakable voice of the Professor in his head. ‘I know it’s hard right now, but I’m sure you will be able to do more good work in the future.’


	8. Can I kiss you?

Loki was once again comfortable seated at David’s front door maybe eventually he would give them a key and there would be no use for waiting in the hall. If he had listened and gone to the Professor first then he would need cheering up. Sure enough there he was eyes cast down and shoulders slightly hunched, definitely a combination of exhaustion and rejection. 

“How did it go?” As if the question had to be asked, at least it made his eyes snap up from his keys. 

“Loki, when are you going to leave me alone?” He pushed the door open and trudged in toward the kitchen. 

“I can go if you want I just thought you might like some company, and I have no where better to be.” David had started pouring himself a glass of wine. 

“It’s fine, want some?” He shook the bottle at them. 

“Sure not like drinking got us into this mess.” Maybe that was said with a little too much bitterness. 

“Just shut up please, I can’t deal with your snide comments right now.” Lifting the glass up to his mouth he took a long gulp. 

“Okay I’m sorry.” David almost choked at that putting the glass down and looking at them once more. 

“Did you just apologise?” 

“Yes I’m trying this new thing where I try to keep the friends that I have.” Loki could tell that he was about to argue the fact that they were most certainly not friends but thought better of it. 

“Fine I guess we are friends.” He lifted the glass back up and took another long drink. 

“Can I kiss you?” Loki cursed the apprehension in their own voice, hoping David would miss it in his surprise. 

“What?” The glass was once more on the counter and he was staring into their face once more, Loki was sure that he was looking for any sign that it was a trick. 

“Can I kiss you?” This time they took a step closer so that there was no way he wouldn’t be able to hear the question. 

Instead of answering he just nodded his head still standing rigidly still. Loki walked closer leaning forward and brushed their lips together before pressing harder. It was warm and sweet and unlike anything they could remember. Pulling back slowly Loki took in a deep breath looking carefully into David’s eyes but he seemed just as surprised. Before they could say another word they were being pulled back in. This time David pushed past their lips and started licking the inside of their mouth. Loki pulled him in closer so that their bodies were pushed up against each other. This time the kiss lasted much longer and Loki found themselves being pushed against the counter kisses now being placed all the way down their neck. He was just getting to the top buttons of their shirt when the phone rang. Loki cursed but David just ignored it starting to undo the button. 

“This okay?” He looked up and Loki found themselves nodding frantically. This wasn’t what they thought would happen though they certainly weren't going to complain. David quickly undid the buttons finishing on the final ring. Oh gods Tommy was leaving a message. 

“Hey man it’s been a couple days since I’ve been able to reach you, I just heard today that you left your job. Did you get a better offer? Anyway it would be great to hear from you, just so I know something crazy didn’t happen. Call me when you get this. Bye” There was a click and Loki let out a moan as he had moved onto one of their nipples. Why did it feel so good? Maybe it really had been longer than they had realized. 

“Can we go to the bedroom?” David had pulled away and Loki wanted nothing more than to pull him back. “I have condoms and stuff in there.” 

“Yeah okay.” Wow was their voice really that breathy probably a good idea to get laid more often, this was ridicules. 

By the time they managed to reach the bedroom David was already rummaging through one of the bedside drawers. Loki did their best to sit seductively on the bed though given the building excitement it couldn’t have looked all that convincing. 

“What would you like?” Loki changed their appearance to something more feminine.

“Whatever you want.” At that they changed back to the more androgynous appearance, lately it had been the most comfortable. David smiled crawling above them and pushing them back into the mattress. His lips were once more on theirs and the slide was starting to drive them crazy. Loki let their hands wander all over his body pulling him closer, vaguely aware that the phone was ringing once more in the other room. Was that their ringtone or David’s? He was now rubbing harder into their body and Loki was hyper aware of just how hard he was. Why was the phone still ringing? Pants were being thrown on the floor and David was above him on his knees hands on the buckle of their pants. 

“Take them off.” Doing their best they helped pull them down before throwing them to the floor with the other clothes. The phone had finally stopped ringing and David’s hands were rubbing over the underwear that they were still wearing, causing more gasps to escape. 

“So hot.” He whispered in their ear before sliding his hand in their underwear. 

“You can fuck me.” Wow did that really just come out of their mouth? Definitely not something that had been said before, at least not out loud. 

David only moaned in response pulling down the underwear all the way before reluctantly getting up in order to get his briefs off. Loki tried to regain their breath by looking up at the ceiling, was that the phone again? It was definitely their ring tone. The bed dipped and all thoughts of the phone flew out the window. It was impossible not to stare at him, not to touch him. David didn’t seem to mind only moving their hands out of the way to get in a better position. 

“Ready?” 

“Yes.” Same breathy voice, try to get a little bit of control. Of course his lips were on theirs once more and Loki gave up on trying to remain composed. He was slowly moving his hips and the sensation was unlike anything they had ever felt. Air was coming out in gasps as he picked up the pace and Loki lifted their hips up higher in order for him to go in deeper. Even with their mouths pressed together the sounds coming from David were driving them crazy his hands were everywhere and stars were beginning to appear behind their eyelids. The warm waves shook over their whole body making their eyes open, followed by that familiar sticky feeling between their thighs. David was gasping and shaking above them and Loki could feel his release through the fog of their own relaxed body. 

They stayed like that hearts still pounding until it became uncomfortable. David got up throwing out the condom and heading to the bathroom. 

“I’m going to have a shower, want to join?” That smile, had anyone ever looked at them like that? Maybe a very long time ago they reasoned. 

The water was nice and warm and David scrubbed their head washing it out carefully. It was settled Loki was definitely staying the night everything else could wait till tomorrow. Pence would be angry about not getting his vial but he could wait another day. 

By the time they had left the bathroom there was already new sheets on the bed and David was sitting on the far side reading a book. He patted the seat next to him without looking up. Loki obeyed, crawling under the blankets and snuggling up close. 

“I didn’t think you would be into cuddling.” 

“I take what I can get.” Loki closed their eyes enjoying the proximity and missing the look on David’s face as he started to rub the top of their head.


	9. Hero Types

David woke up the next morning feeling incredibly warm, what happened last night came rushing back at the sight of Loki tucked so close next to him. What had he been thinking? Nothing good was going to come out of this, he was still very aware of the fact that you could never really be sure which side Loki was on or if they even had one. For all he knew this was still apart of some bigger plan involving many other people. 

“Hey.” Loki’s eyes looked too shiny and made his doubts all the stronger, it sure didn’t seem like a trick. 

“Sleep well?” He found himself asking.

Loki just smiled in response stretching and getting up, David found himself staring at their ass as they walked to the bathroom. He was so fucked. 

Dragging himself out of bed he made sure to lay out the best breakfast that could be made with the limited amount of groceries at his disposal. If he was serious about confronting Loki then he would need any peace offering he could get. Luckily Loki was in a very good mood judging by the look they gave him upon seeing the food. David let them eat for a couple of minutes before breaking the silence. 

“Do you think the clinic will press charges after yesterday, or did you block their camera’s?” Really he should have asked yesterday but the heat of finally being able to take them down had consumed all his thoughts. Further evidence that he wasn’t thinking with the rationality that he should be. 

“I made sure that they didn’t see anything, they think that you rushed out because you weren’t feeling well. I would never give them a reason to target you.” 

“As far as I know you're the reason that I got the job in the first place.” He couldn’t hide the frustration in his voice and Loki visibly recoiled. 

“Only because you answered my phone, they wouldn’t have bothered you if you hadn’t.” 

“No they probably wouldn’t have, which makes me wonder why they wanted to hire someone just because they're close to you? I know they didn’t offer me the position because I used to be a mutant, there are plenty of people that they could have hired if that was all they wanted. It has something to do with you and I would like you to tell me.” 

“I’m trying to take them down from the inside, it has proven to be the most effective many times in past. This is there way of keeping some control over the situation, over me.” Loki smiled but there was no humour in it.

“I’m going to go back to work today.” There wasn’t a doubt in his mind even if the Professor didn’t feel like he was ready to be on the team, that didn’t mean that he wasn’t going to try and help out in other ways. 

“I know, you hero types always do.” Loki stood up and stepped confidently toward him kneeling down they kissed him hard, before walking out the door.


	10. A Demon?

There you are, you know I had expected you last night I made sure that you got all the information you wanted, at a great deal of personal risk I might add.” Gods this man was insufferable, if there had been any other choice they would be working with someone else. His kids probably didn’t even like talking to him. 

“You did well.” Loki pulled out the last vial and handed it to him doing their best to avoid too much contact. 

“It’s a pleasure doing business with you Mr. Loki.” With that he chugged all the contents of the vial. Loki quietly waited phone ready and sure enough long bat like wings started to rip through the back of his shirt. His face was distorted into something that most Christians would proclaim to be a demon, complete with horns. He leaned his head back and roared as a long black tail ripped through the seat of his pants. It wasn’t exactly what Loki had been expecting but it would work all the same. They uploaded the video to YouTube. Thank you Mephisto.

 

******

Sure enough Loki had told the truth no one at work seemed the least bit fazed by his exit the day before. No one even commented, with the exception of Bart who was still giving him calculating looks. 

“I guess you noticed the protesters outside when you got to work today?” David had noticed the large group of people waving signs and flags on his way to work. Instead of getting too close he had slipped in through another entrance. They were no doubt protesting the gross human rights violations going on. He was sure that Professor X must have informed more mutant rights organizations on what was really going on inside. 

“I did, freedom of speech is a right we are all entitled too.” He did his best to sound neutral but if the look on Bart’s face was anything to go from he wasn’t all that successful. 

“Looks like it’s time for your first appointment.” He nodded to the clock before turning back to the computer screen. 

The session ended abruptly though when an alarm was sounded and he was ushered out of the room right into Mr. Breit. 

“I need you to follow me to my office now!” Spit was flying from his mouth and he had stormed away so fast that David found himself running just to keep up. He could distantly hear Bart laughing before the elevator doors closed. The ride was silent and so was the walk all the way down the hallway to his office. It wasn’t until the door was shut behind him that he spoke again. 

“Do you know about this video?” A phone was shoved in his face and he found himself watching the grisly transformation of who he knew to be the current Supreme Pontiff for the Church of Humanity, into some kind of demon. 

“No, it looks like whoever made it is incredibly good at special effects.” 

“This.” He waved the phone in David’s face. “Is real, his office was destroyed and he hasn’t been seen since.” 

“Maybe it’s a hoax.” 

“There were claw marks around the office and the window was broken, there are even eye witness claiming to have seen some large demon like creature flying around the area.” David looked at the now still shot of the creature on the phone, it certainly could be real given all the other things that were possible. 

“I know who posted it, and if you don’t tell me what’s going on then I will make sure that you and all the rest of the people like you never leave this building.” 

“I’m afraid I don’t know anything about the video. You should probably be more focused on improving your public image than worrying about some random video anyway. There are protesters outside right now and they won't stop until something changes.” 

“They can protest all they want the whiny liberals, this is about the sanctity of our church. I’m aware you're disgusting boyfriend is the one that uploaded the video and he will no doubt come to save you.” David’s stomach dropped was he talking about Loki? He must be, but Loki would never fall for a trap as simple as that. They had after all been a villain themselves at one point, he choice to think of that as something in the past. 

“I heard my name.” Loki entered the room with a wink at David before seating themselves in a chair and gesturing for Mr. Breit to sit. Apparently he was wrong. 

“You did this, you turned the Supreme Pontiff into a DEMON!” His whole face was bright red and his fists were shaking, David made sure to take a step closer just in case. 

“If you watched the video you would see that he turned himself into a demon, he chose to drink the vial.” 

“You disgusting liar he wouldn’t have drank it if he knew what it would do to him.” 

“He knew as much as I did. Did you know that he wanted to be a mutant? That’s all that was in the vial, nether of us had any idea what kind of mutant he would be.” Why did David get the feeling that Loki was lying again. There was of course no reason why someone like the Supreme Pontiff would drink something like that on purpose. 

“There is no way that someone as intelligent as him would choose to become a mutant.” 

“You can hear it for yourself tonight.” Loki placed a poster onto the desk and David only managed to get a quick glance at it before Mr. Breit had grabbed at it, face turning purple. 

“Get out of my office you faggs!” The purple had spread all the way down his neck now and David was reasonably sure that any more pressure would cause him to explode. 

“Awe so mean. This is why no one likes you.” Loki was actually poking Mr. Breit’s chest, apparently they wanted to prove David’s theory. Sure enough he lunged for Loki’s throat. Acting fast David decked him sending him sideways. He hit the ground with a thump and with a laugh Loki grabbed David’s hand and pulled him from the room. They were running for the elevator and once the doors had closed Loki was pushing him against the wall. 

“You have no idea how hot that was.” They whispered in his ear before kissing down his neck. David was at a loss for words so instead he pulled Loki’s face up to his and kissed them on the mouth. His hands were tangled in the shoulder length black hair and Loki was rubbing his ass when the elevator doors opened. He became instantly aware of all the horrified stares on them, and gently pushed Loki away. Taking the hint they turned and smiled at everyone hand still clasping his. They walked out the building, Loki waving like the queen and David silently giving in to the fact that all his undercover work was officially done.


	11. Shall we go to Church?

“So what was on the poster?” They had made it to David’s apartment without incident and Loki had hoped it would be a repeat of last night instead of a discussion. Though after everything, they at least owed him an explanation. It was extremely unlikely that David would let them continue on alone anyway. Loki is still unsure if that is a good thing or not. 

“You know how there are normally church services in which the Supreme Pontiff does his idea of a sermon, well tonight is no different.” 

“Except for the fact that he looks like a demon now.” 

“Well yes, imagine a room full of the most hateful people listening to him give his testimony on becoming a mutant and how much more power he has. Their not going to be very happy now are they?” Loki can’t help the smile on their face at the image. 

“That’s your plan then, you want them to destroy each other?” Loki will never understand why hero’s care so much for everyone, how can he be upset by the destruction of the people that have spent their whole lives trying to kill him and others like him? 

“We can go, if you want. Watch what happens.” 

“I’m not going to let a whole bunch of people die just because they happen to be apart of a hateful church.” Loki can’t help but shake their head at that which just seems to push David farther over the edge. “They’re ignorant but their minds could be changed if we educate them.” There is a certain finality to his voice and Loki can’t help but think of all the ways this could go terribly wrong. 

“Okay so what is your plan then?” It’s clear by look leveled at them that David heard the annoyance in their voice. Not their fault if he felt the need to run in and save every single bigot. 

“I think we should go and watch, that way if something happens we can step in before anyone gets hurt. They might realize the error of their ways if the person they admired is now a mutant.” 

“They might.” It’s hard to even attempt optimism but just because Loki’s history has proven why that can be foolish doesn't mean that it’s always the wrong way to go about things. Apart of them hopes David is right, contrary to what people might think Loki still hopes that people will prove them wrong. 

“Well looks like we still have a couple hours to kill.” Was that actually a wink? Maybe they will get what they wanted after all. Without hesitating Loki gets up from their chair and sits on David’s lap. Their mouths coming together once more the kisses are all tongue and Loki can feel his hands all over making their skin tingle. He starts undoing the back of their shirt when there’s a loud knock on the door. 

“David it’s Tommy. You weren’t answering your phone so I decided to come over and make sure everything’s okay.” At the sound of the voice David lowers his hands and turns to the door, too surprised to try and maneuver around them. 

“I know you're in there, I saw your car outside. Just open up I’m worried about you.” The last sentence is enough for him to shake Loki off before going to the door with an apologetic look on his face. Why does everything always have to get in the way? So close. 

“Hey Tommy.” David has the door open wide enough to let him in, Loki can’t help but note the fact that he is also using it as a shield for his lower half. Serves him right for answering the door. 

“There you are, am I interrupting something?” He gives Loki a funny look before turning back to David. 

“No, we can talk if you like.” There’s a resignation in his voice that unsettles Loki.

“So everything’s okay then? I mean you left the job that you seemed to be enjoying for something else, must be better right?” 

“It’s alright, just temporary. I’m hoping to come back soon actually.” 

“Wow that was quick can’t have been that great then.” Loki can tell by the look on David’s face that he is thinking about all those patients and they can’t help but step in. 

“You know how corporate jobs are, at least now he has more experience.” Tommy regards them coolly but nods. 

“So you two a thing now? You could have told me David, I mean I knew you were bi already.” That seems to shake him out of whatever trance he was in. 

“Can we talk about this later Tommy, it’s been a long day?” 

“I guess, if you two are busy. Just try not to get into too much trouble okay.” He smiles at both of them before waving goodbye. Well that didn’t go as badly as it could have. Loki patiently waits for the door to be closed and locked before striding over to David. 

“So can we get back to where we left off?” He still seems distant and Loki is unsure if any touch will be welcome. 

“What are we doing?” 

“Currently talking.” When we could be doing way more fun things. 

“No I mean people are going to have questions, have you ever even dated someone before?” 

“Well no, not that I can remember anyway, I think I had a wife once but that was a long time ago.” 

“Oh my god.” 

“We can tell them whatever you want. If you want no one else needs to know.” The truth is they just want the sex to resume at this point, the rest can be figured out later. 

“I’m not ashamed of you.” His words combined with the look on his face is enough to shake Loki from their lust filled thoughts. 

“You probably should be.” They step back before taking in a deep breath. “I can meet you there.” Loki stuffs another one of the posters in his hands before dashing out of the apartment. The guilt from the old one is still present it would seem, how does one ever escape oneself?


	12. The Supreme Pontiff

David had spent the last two hours before the sermon in quiet contemplation. After Loki had rushed out he couldn’t help but feel like he was missing something. Loki did have a tendency to play both sides he had been aware of that all along. Wasn’t that why he had been hesitant in the first place, why was he so willing to trust them now? Nothing had changed between them except sex and David prided himself on being in control of all his baser needs. He would need a backup plan just in case things went south, or at least worse than he had originally thought. Before leaving he decided on calling Nightcrawler and informing him on what was going on. He would need to have some kind of backup if there really was going to be a riot at the church. 

“Hello.” 

“Hey, it’s Prodigy. I have some information on the Supreme Pontiff.” 

“We saw the video, do you know where he is?” 

“Yes I can send you the address, on one condition, I want to help.”

“I understand you’ve had just as many horrible experiences with them as a lot of us, but the Professor will never allow it.”

“Please I can help, I already have a personal stake in this. I’m sure he will understand that. I did lead a team once.” 

“Alright I can talk to him on your behalf, can you send me the address?” 

“I’d rather give him the address.” There is a deafening silence on the other end until the distinct voice of the Professor comes on. 

“David what a nice surprise.” He can hear the forced politeness put behind the words and knows that he plans on agreeing to David’s request. 

The trip to the church is uneventful, even the church seems eerily quiet. No one is insight including Loki making him even more uneasy. Once he reaches the big doors he spots Nightcrawler on the top of the roof and nods. There are at least three other X-Men hiding in the shadows and they all acknowledge him from the shadows as he pushes the doors open. 

There are hundreds of people gathered amongst the pews and he ducks into the shadows once more when a couple near the back turn their heads at the sound of the doors. They are all talking amongst themselves, no doubt about the video of their once great leader. David spots the little old lady on the stage before most of them, she taps the mic and silence comes over the crowd. 

“I’m so glad you could all make it, as you know the Supreme Pontiff will be giving a testimony on his new experiences. Now if you will all rise for the great Reverend Pence.” The room erupts with applause as a large figure emerges from the shadows. 

“Good evening everyone, I’m so glad you could make it.” Well it’s certainly not the voice he had been expecting. Despite his intimidating appearance his voice is just as pompous as David remembers. 

“As you know I have recently undergone a change, what better way to understand the disgusting minds of mutants then to become one. Of course I never imagined the power that I would also feel. It is truly the best part of my transformation.” He pauses and boos erupt amongst the crowd.

“You boo now but just wait until you yourselves are also gifted with the power that I have. Imagine what we could unleash on the world. It would be so much greater than anything we have done so far.” People are now throwing things but he merely walks around the stage continuing his speech. “I believe we can all be saved.” His arms are outstretched, and that’s when David spots Loki from the stage. They lock eyes with him before placing a finger to their lips. Outside the X-Men are still awaiting his signal and he is very aware that he only has so much time to make a decision. 

The speech continues on though he is no longer paying attention, Loki smiles wider, mischief clear in their eyes. David is well aware that this is another reason why he should have avoided them from the beginning. 

“What do you say to that?” The room is suddenly quiet as the Supreme Pontiff seems to have finally finished the first part of his speech. 

“You disgust me. You used to stand for the good of humanity and now all you want is to destroy it. I think you deserve to die just like those other filthy mutants.” The words are from a middle aged man near the front and everyone seems to agree, if the cheers are anything to go from. Loki is now striding on stage stepping beside the Pontiff. 

“Or perhaps he represents the ugly face of what hate filled actions will do to you over time. The way I see it you have two choices either you embrace your new leader for what a vile person he is or you join him.” Loki pulls out a scepter that had been hiding behind their back and David rushes to the front as quietly as he can. People all around him are yelling and like him pushing forward toward the altar making it hard to get very far.

“I think I can give my own testimony you disgusting tranny.” 

“Oh look who’s tough now that you have power. Everyone should know that you begged me for those vials, you wanted to be a mutant so badly.” David can’t make out the rest of what Loki says but whatever it is makes the Pontiff turn sharply around ignoring the mob now behind him. 

“What are you talking about, look at me, I’m a mutant.” His voice is full of rage and David is still desperately stuck in the mob of people, no longer able to move. Loki whispers something else keeping his attention from the crowd now on the alter. 

“What!” He strikes out at Loki but the crowd has now reached him. David gives up on pushing his way through, and calls in the X-Men. As soon as the call goes through he hears the distinct blood curdling screams of the Pontiff over all the noise. The X-Men rush in around him trying to pull the crowd off the demon. Despite their efforts they are losing the battle and he feels useless to even get to them in time with the amount of people around. Everyone around him is still chanting their approval of the demise of their former leader and he feels sick to his stomach. 

“David.” He turns at the sound of Loki’s voice just above him. The grin is still on their face and he notices the small camera capturing everything. A final blood curdling scream rings out before deathly silence. Even though he can’t make out the stage through all the people he knows it’s over. 

“What have you done?” 

“Nothing, I’m leaving it up to you.” They place the camera in his hands before giving him one last sad smile. When David searches for them again they're nowhere insight.


	13. Only Human

It feels odd to not give the footage to the X-Men right away he knows that in the past he would have without a second thought but this time feels different. It seems more important that the police know about the human rights violations and how the body that was found in a church met it’s end. Pence’s family at least deserve to know what happened to him. So he makes sure to send in an anonymous tip with the tape. All evidence that either he or Loki were there are removed. It’s better if the public focuses on the actions of the X-Men and see them for the heroes they are. Eventually the footage may be realised by the authorities but it seems unlikely given how graphic it became, the screams still haunt him.

There is still one thing left to resolve and it took many awkward conversations to even get the address. He still needs to talk to Loki even if they are making it impossible to reach them. Probably to afraid to meet the consequences of their actions. With one last deep breath he knocks on the door hoping that this time it will be the correct address. Sure enough the door creaks open and the familiar scent of magics engulf him, well at least this is the right place.

“I heard you were looking for me.” The words are directed at the door as they close it, David gets the feeling that they were definitely trying to avoid this conversation at all costs.

“I wanted to talk to you. Can we sit down?” Loki nods taking a seat on the sofa still avoiding eye contact. David is careful to sit down leaving some space between them, it’s unsettling to see Loki like this and it makes him wonder how many others have.

“The tape has been given to the authorities and as you already know the reparative centre is shutting down. The X-Men were able to use the information that we found to close it once and for all. I think that the death of their Supreme Pontiff helped as well. The church of Humanity has lost a lot of support and I’m sure they will lose a lot more once information on the death of Reverend Pence comes out. This is all what you planned isn’t it?”

“Yes.” Loki looks up at him now defiance clear in their green eyes.

“Why, I mean why now?”

“People don’t really pray to Norse gods the way they used to especially in predominantly christian countries. But I still get some prayers, and do you know what they pray for?” David finds himself shaking his head searching the distant look now on Loki’s face. “They pray for equality, they pray for acceptance and most of all they pray that the world will just accept them for who they are. I guess I can relate to that.” All he can do is nod his understanding, that had certainly not been the answer that he had expected.

“Was that all you wanted to ask me about?” The hopefulness is clear and apart of him wants to say yes despite the hard work put into finding them.

“No there is one more thing that I wanted to talk to you about.” He pauses looking Loki over carefully, they are listening though clearly just waiting for the other shoe to drop. Resisting the urge to hold their hand he presses on. “I knew what was going to happen in the church I could have stopped it and chose not to. The X-Men were ready and waiting and I let it happen.” It’s the first time that he has been able to muster up the courage to say the words out loud. The thought has been with him since that night, why hadn’t he done anything? He knew what Loki was planning and yet he just stood aside and let it happen anyway. Was he really the hero that he had always thought he was, or just someone who gave into anger and hurt?

“You can’t blame yourself I tricked you and the Church of Humanity made the choice to kill him for being different. Even if the X-Men had rushed in earlier it wouldn’t have guaranteed that he would survive.” Of course Loki was lying about tricking him, he was very aware of the decision that he made even before he walked into the building, apart of him had wanted it to end the way it did. The worst part was that he still felt relieved that such an awful man was gone.

“You’re a good person, but still human.” Loki was slowly inching closer and he let them take his hand. “Everyone makes mistakes.” The words were said in a whisper close to his ear.

“You’re not a mistake. I was actually planning on asking you, if you would go on a proper date with me. No more horrible office buildings and hidden files from corrupt churches. Just a real date where I can actually get to know more about you, without the lies or games.”

“I would like that. Sorry for dragging you into all that other stuff.” Their smile is vibrant and when they lean in to kiss him he pulls them in closer. At least some things still feel right.

 


End file.
